Hermes Bearn

Some people that I know – both men and women – seem to love collecting wallets. I’ve never been a wallet hoarder myself. My vice has always been handbags! So imagine my surprise when I went to gather all of my various card holders and wallets, and realized that I actually had accumulated quite a few over the years. I gathered together my favorites and thought I would share my experiences with them.

From left to right, clockwise:

1. Louis Vuitton “Brazza” Wallet, $605 I got this many years ago in the classic Damier print, and it was only after the fact that I realized it was a men’s wallet. I really like this one because it holds a ton, is made out of Vuitton canvas which makes it virtually indestructible, and it just flips open. I’ve found that most women’s wallets that are checkbook style have some kind of a flap or clasp (see the Bearn below), and when I’m a hurry, sometimes it’s just easier to grab my cards without any fuss. This wallet has been abused and I still think it looks pretty good.

2. Hermes Bearn Wallet, $3000 (you can also usually find a good selection for less at Fashionphile). This Bearn is almost a decade old, and I think it looks pretty nice! I found it when Hermes was doing a big release for Turquoise (since then, they’ve done another big Turquoise push, just last year). The color just called to me. My Bearn is made out of Chevre leather, and has a gusset which I’d recommend for extra space, though it does cost more. If you like your wallets to be very sturdy, I might recommend choosing Epsom leather instead of Chevre – while I love the feel of Chevre, my wallet has definitely gotten dinged and banged up over the years, and I think Epsom would have held up better. I had to send this one to the Hermes “Spa” and $250 later, don’t feel like much was really done except for a repaired stitch or two.

3. Comme des Garcons French Wallet, $215. I’m a huge fan of these wallets! They’re really well priced, the designs are cool, and the leather is super sturdy. Because this one was fairly inexpensive, I’m not careful at all with how I’ve handled it – it’s been dropped on the pavement, scratched, and majorly banged around. And still looks great. It holds a good amount of cards, my cash, and the coin pocket is very well designed. I always recommend this wallet to those looking for a nice one at any price point – and the fact that this is only $215 is just icing on the cake. Continue Reading

Today I’m doing my best to answer a reader question, from the lovely S. I’ve pasted an excerpt from her email, below: I was wondering if you can do a post on wallets? High-end, mid-range, inexpensive, doesn’t matter! Do you…